How to Zing
by Mia Vaan
Summary: The backstory of Martha, wife of Dracula and mother of Mavis, revealing how she first met her husband...and that she wasn't always a vampire.
1. Chapter One: Three Men and a Witch

Um...hi, guys.

I know it's been like, forever, since I uploaded anything, but I've just been really busy with other stuff. And writer's block didn't help. So I've been trying to get back into writing, and seeing this film actually helped.

It was a cute film, and surprisingly good for something which wasn't made by _Dreamworks_ or _Disney_. I got the idea for the story while watching the film; Mavis had asked her father why he never told her the true story about how he and Martha met, and I thought, "Wouldn't that be an awesome twist if she had been a human?" Then it showed the two meeting in bat form, so the idea faded.

But then...it wouldn't go away. So I started to develop the story, trying to get it to fit with canon as much as I could...and I came up with this. It's just an experiment, really; I'm trying to get back into writing, so I apologize if this isn't my best work. It's only going to be short; about six chapters long. Oh, and any fans of the original _Dracula_ novel will be able to spot cameo appearances from the other characters. ;D

I hope you guys enjoy, and please leave feedback.

Disclaimer: I don't own_ Hotel Transylvania_ or any of its characters. I also don't own _Dracula_ or any of its characters.

* * *

The hotel was quiet. The guests who had attended Mavis's birthday party were long gone, leaving only a few left in the hotel. Johnny and Mavis were part of those few.

"You're mum's, like, an awesome artist."

Mavis smiled. She was showing Johnny the book her mother had given her for her birthday. "I guess she is. Although I would like to know the full story."

"Why don't you ask your dad?" asked the boy.

"He doesn't like to talk about Mum," Mavis explained.

Johnny understood. He remembered back to that night when Dracula had shown him Martha's coffin, and had told him the true story behind the Lady Laubode. _I was stupid to tell him that "fairytale" version. But he didn't seem to mind_. "There's still no harm in asking."

Mavis sighed. "But what do I ask him?"

"What do you want to know?"

Boyfriend and girlfriend turned to find Mavis's father, Dracula, standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

Mavis was unsure what she wanted to ask; there were so many questions in her head regarding her mother that she didn't know which to ask first. Thankfully Johnny asked his question first. "One thing that confused me was where she came from? The museum said it's a mystery. No family, no relatives; nothing."

Dracula entered the room and sat down next to the pair on the bed. "That's because 'Laubode' was her mother's maiden name. She used it when we met because...she and her father didn't exactly see eye to eye. His name was Abraham Van Helsing."

Johnny's ears perked in recognition. "I think I've heard of him. He was, like, this crazy science guy who vowed to track down and slaughter every single vampire in existence."

"Yes, he was the one who sent the mob to..." Dracula trailed off, unable to finish, but the others understood what he was referring to.

But something caught Mavis's attention. "Hold on a second. So you're saying that Mum's father was human. Does that mean...?"

Dracula sighed. "Yes. Your mother was once a human. Her turn was the reason her father vowed to hunt down vampires."

Mavis opened the book onto the page showing two bats bumping into each other. '_Two lonely bats crashed in the night_'. "But that doesn't make any sense. It says here that the two of you crashed into each other while flying."

"Yes, well, she was a romantic. It's artistic licence," Dracula explained. "The real story is a lot more complicated than that."

* * *

There came a knock at the door.

"Martha? Are you ready yet? Lucy is waiting for you."

Martha gasped as the maid helping her get dressed pulled her corset too tight. "I'll be right there, Father. I just need to strangle the maid first."

"Martha Van Helsing, you shall do no such thing," said her father, Abraham. "You should not complain about your corset being too tight. All the young girls your age wear them tight these days."

The eighteen year old rolled her eyes at her father's words. It was always a common argument between them; corsets. "Yes, well, I prefer the ability to breathe over beauty."

"Just hurry it up." Her father's footsteps grew distant outside the door.

The maid finished with the corset and began to help Martha with the blue dress she was to wear for the garden party. Martha allowed the maid to do her job, struggling to breathe with the corset tight against her chest. After this was done the maid silently bowed before leaving the room.

Martha waited for a few moments...before taking her dress back off and ripping the corset from her body. "If I'm to find the right man to zing with, it wouldn't matter whether I'm wearing a corset or not."

She heard a small chirp, and looking to her left, she saw a small black bat crawling across her dressing table with a silver necklace in its mouth. The necklace had a heart dangling from the chain; it had belonged to her mother, and the name '_Mina Laubode_' was still written into it. Martha smiled at the small creature and walked over to take the jewellery. "Thank you, Mavis."

The bat chirped happily as the young girl stroked the fur along its back. Martha had rescued the bat when it had injured its wing, and when it had healed, the bat just wouldn't leave. Martha had let her stay around, so long as her father didn't see her; she found it was nice to have someone to talk to.

As Martha brushed aside her dark hair and placed the necklace around her she walked over to the window, looking out over the garden party that was taking place. Part of her dreaded the occasion filled with propriety and manners, but another part of her felt...excited. She was eighteen, after all, and her father told her that he expected her to find a husband. Martha was enchanted by the idea of romance and wanted to find the right man to 'zing' with (a word her father disapproved of).

"Do you think I'll find my zing, Mavis?" she asked the bat. Mavis just chirped, and when Martha turned her head, the bat was shrugging. She smiled. "You always say that." The bat chirped again.

There was another knock at the door. "Martha, hurry it up."

"I'm coming, Father." Martha quickly tied her hair up in a bun before opening out her dress pocket for Mavis. "Come on, I don't want you missing out on the fun. I need you to bite Mrs. Ascot if she bosses me about again."

The bat chirped before hopping inside her pocket.

Thankfully her father was gone when Martha left her room; she knew that had he seen her without a corset he would have sent her straight back in again to put it on, regardless of how late she was. Martha walked down the large stairs and passed by servants carrying trays of food before stepping outside into the garden. It was never particularly warm in Holland, but today, the sun was out and set a beautiful scene for the guests.

But not for Martha. She hated the sun.

She was approached by a young blonde her age. "It's about time," said her friend, Lucy. "And no corset?"

"If I meet a man today I would like to be able to talk to him properly instead of barely being able to say my name," said Martha. "I don't know how you manage it."

"You just not let it bother you." Lucy waved her white fan in her face, and although masked well, Martha could see that her friend was struggling with her own breathing. "I would have preferred it if you had worn one, but then I suppose this gives me a better chance."

"A better chance for what?"

"To be noticed by Arthur." Lucy turned and nodded towards a well dressed man standing in the shade with a few others; they were laughing together. "Arthur Holmwood; an English nobleman, they say. He's so handsome."

Martha watched him, waiting for something to happen... something to tell her that this was her zing. But nothing did, and she turned back to her friend. "Well, I don't feel anything for him. He's all yours."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "This 'zing' nonsense again. It's not even a word."

"It is. My mother used it all the time," said Martha. "She hated how she could never find hers, so she wanted me to find mine instead of ending up married to a man who I don't love."

"Yes, I'm sure that is exactly what your father wants," said Lucy, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Martha was about to make a clever resort when someone cleared his throat behind them. "Ahem."

They turned to find their childhood friend standing a few short strides away; John Seward. "Martha, may I have a word?"

"Of course." Martha walked with him, and out of the corner of her eye, she swore she saw Lucy wink. She wondered what this meant.

The pair passed the patio, where many people were dancing slowly to some rather dull music. "Would you like to dance?" asked John politely.

"No, thank you," said Martha. From the expression on the man's face, she knew he was trying to make conversation. She wondered what had happened to him; usually John was rather chatty, and she could never get him to _stop_ talking.

"I suppose it is a tad warm for it today." John stopped walking and turned to her. "Martha, ever since I was a young boy, you and I have known each other. Good friends, we have been. But the truth is... I have always found you beautiful."

Martha blinked in surprise. _Is he saying what I think he's saying?_

"I know this is fast, but..." Martha could see him beginning to sweat, and in an instant, she knew what he was going to ask. "Martha, I want you to marry me."

The girl froze, staring into John's brown eyes, and when the shock passed she began to concentrate. Her mother had always told her that if she ever found her zing, she would be able to feel it. She would look into the man's eyes and see something there that told her he was the one. But as she looked into John's eyes...she found that she could feel nothing. There was nothing there for her to find, and she gave up trying. John was just...John. A childhood friend and nothing more.

"John...I...I mean, I...I don't..."

"Oh, what am I doing?" said John suddenly, interrupting her. For a moment Martha hoped he had reconsidered, until... "I should really be asking your father about this. I knew I forgot to do something. I shall be right back." He took off at a run.

Instantly Martha took off in the other direction, hoping to hide from John when he returned. Mavis poked her head out from the dress pocket and chirped.

"I know, I know," Martha told her. "But I don't have the heart to tell him. Hopefully disappearing will get the message across." Martha continued running, hurrying into the freshly cut maze of bushes; she turned a corner...

...and bumped right into another familiar face.

"Oh. Hey there, Martha."

Martha knew his Texas accent anywhere. "Hello, Quincey." She had met Quincey Morris a year before, when he had come over from America for a business agreement with her father. She had gotten on rather well with him.

"I was looking for you, actually," said Quincey. He took Martha's arm and led her further into the maze, and Martha was glad; it meant getting away from John. "I was just saying to some fellahs about life across the pound. About all the fun there is to have riding around, chasing them Indians, you know what I mean."

"I suppose." Martha wasn't really paying attention. She was busy thinking of the many ways she could break it to John that she didn't want to marry him.

Quincey smirked. "I knew you'd understand. That's what I was saying to those fellahs. Not many ladies over here like the idea of living over there. Say it's too barbaric and dirty. But I knew you'd understand. You're different from all those other ladies. That's why I have to ask you a question."

Martha was suddenly paying a lot more attention to the conversation. "What question?" _This is not good_.

"The usual." Quincey's smirk grew wider. "You ever think about marrying a man like me?"

Martha's eyes widened and her mouth dropped. "Quincey, I-"

He suddenly burst out laughing, and Martha hoped he'd asked her for a joke. But her hope fell with his following words. "I'm sorry, I forgot how you folks functioned over here. I'm supposed to ask you Daddy permission first, right? Well, how about I go ask him, and then you give me your answer? Wait right here." He turned and left.

When he was out of sight, Martha did the same.

She hurried through the twists and turns of the maze, her mind trying to comprehend what had happened. "Can you believe this, Mavis?" The bat in her pocket chirped. "Two men! _Two_ men! And neither feel right!" She had felt nothing for Quincey, either. "This day couldn't get any worse."

She hurried out of the exit...and bumped into someone else.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," she apologized, looking up. Her mouth dropped when she realized it was the nobleman who Lucy had pointed out before.

"No need to apologize," said Arthur. "I should have been looking where I was going." He was trying to be polite...but Martha could see in his eyes that he was a little put out by her collision with him, and the fact that a young lady like her was running. "Perhaps you would like to keep me company?"

He extended an arm out to her. Martha took it hesitantly, knowing she shouldn't decline a man like him, but she felt uneasy about it. The last two men she had walked with had asked her to marry them.

"You are the lovely Martha Van Helsing, are you not?" the man asked.

Martha nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"I am attempting to make a business agreement with your father," Arthur continued. "Of course, he feels that some sort of business alliance must be made. Looking at you, I cannot disagree with him."

Martha froze mid-stride. She didn't like where this topic was going. "What do you mean by that?" _Please not let this be the third...I already know this one isn't my zing..._

Arthur chuckled. "Now do not tell me you do not know how some business alliances are formed these days. Marriage. I have yet to discuss this with your father, but I am sure he will agree."

_I have to get him away from me..._ "I'm not sure about that. Two men have already asked for my hand."

It worked. Arthur's face narrowed and he turned to stroll away, without another word given to Martha. The girl shook her head distastefully as he did. _What a creep_. She began to hurry away, determined to find a quiet place to hide until the party was over...

...but was grabbed by the hand. _If this is a fourth suitor, I swear...!_ But when she turned, she sighed with relief to see Lucy.

"I've been looking for you," said her friend. "Where have you been?"

Martha tried to pull away from her. "Lucy, I'll talk to you later. I need to go before-"

A glass was then tapped three times, and the party fell silent. Martha and Lucy turned to see Abraham standing at the top of the garden by the house, and to his left, the three men stood waiting; John, Quincey and Arthur. Martha felt the dread pass through her.

"Firstly I would like to thank you all for coming," Abraham began, "and secondly I would like to inform you... Oh, I am not sure whether to feel embarrassed or proud. Three young men have come to me and asked for my daughter's hand." There was a bit of laughter in the crowd. "Of course, I am not the one to be choosing which gentleman is right, so I would like to ask my daughter to step up here and make the choice for herself. After all, she's the one getting married."

The crowd looked around, trying to find any signs of Martha.

Lucy didn't know what to say. "Fancy that. Three men! I would eat a horse for that-" She turned to find Martha gone.

* * *

Martha struggled to climb over the fence separating the garden from the fields where her father kept his horses. When she finally touched the messy ground, her favourite horse came to investigate; Renfield, a bay coloured stallion.

"Hello, Ren," Martha greeted him, giving him a pat.

"Martha!" The girl turned to see her father hurrying towards her. "Are you trying to purposely embarrass me? Most girls would go around without _corsets_ to have three men propose to them." He then looked her up and down. "Although I see you are not wearing _yours_."

Martha turned back to Renfield. "I hate the things. And those men aren't right for me."

"Martha, if you say that word in front of me-"

But Martha said it. "They're not my zing!"

A look of anger crossed her father's face. "That is it. I will be dragging you back if you do not come willingly!" He began to climb the fence.

Thinking fast, Martha clambered onto Renfield and grabbed his mane, before kicking and clicking him on. "Come on, Ren! Go!" The horse let out a whinny and began to canter across the field, which soon turned into a gallop as Martha kicked harder.

Behind her Martha could hear her father shouting, but she didn't worry. Her father would never be caught dead riding a horse bare back, especially in the suit he was dressed in; he would go through the trouble of getting a stable boy to bring a horse in, saddle it up, while he got changed into the proper riding gear before going after her.

Martha continued to gallop Renfield across the field, and spotting part of the fence which had half fallen, she rode him towards it. Renfield jumped the broken fence easily, and the two continued onwards into the thick woods which surrounded the manor.

As they rode, tears began to fill Martha's dark eyes and she buried her face into Renfield's neck, trusting that the horse would not head into danger. She cried; she cried for her mother, and how she never found her zing; she cried for Lucy, who had watched as the man she liked picked her friend over her; and she cried for herself, realizing that she may never find her zing before her father grew tired with the wait and married her off to the first man who asked.

At some point, Renfield slowed down to a halt and just remained standing, and even after this Martha continued to cry for some time. Mavis crawled out of her pocket and climbed up Martha's body, nudging the girl's face with her own. Martha looked down, her face swollen from the tears and her eyes red. "Sorry, Mavis. I forgot you were in there."

Mavis chirped and gestured around them. Martha looked around, too; it had grown dark, and it made her wonder how long she'd been out for. _The party must be long over... I can't stay out here all night_. She sighed. "Come on, lets go home."

She climbed off Renfield and looked around...and only then did she realize that she had no idea where they were. "Um...you don't happen to know the way back, do you Ren?"

The horse appeared to roll his eyes and then shook his head. Martha deflated, letting out another sigh.

"This is just great."

The sound of a door opening was heard, and Martha whirled around to find a small cottage behind them with an old lady standing in the doorway. "Why, hello there, young lady. What are you doing out so late?"

Martha didn't know what to say. _I could have sworn that wasn't there before..._ "I... I mean we... We got lost."

The woman chuckled lightly. "Yes, you can easily get lost in these woods. Why don't you come in and warm yourself up by the fire? You won't find your way back in the dark. Everything looks the same."

Martha looked around her, and then back at the cottage. Her father had always warned her about talking to strangers who lived on their own in the middle of nowhere; he used to scare her with stories about witches and werewolves when she was a little girl. But looking around her, she realized that the woman was right; there was no way she was finding her way back in the dark, and she was already feeling cold from the night air.

"All right," she said. "If that's all right with you putting me up for the night? I really don't want to be a bother..."

"No bother at all!" said the woman. "I haven't had company in years! It's better than talking to my broom!"

Martha blinked. "Your broom?"

The woman coughed, looking scared for a moment. "I mean... Never mind. Come on in! But your horse will have to stay outside."

"Ren doesn't mind." Renfield made a noise suggesting that he _did_ mind, but Martha ignored him. He wouldn't have been able to fit through the door, anyway.

Martha walked inside and found the place to be rather...unusual. There wasn't any of the usual furniture one would find in a cottage; instead there was a large pot in the centre of the room, and on the shelves surrounding it, there were many glasses and vials of different coloured liquids. A black cat was sleeping on an empty shelf, and then there was a broom...sweeping itself.

The girl blinked, then closed her eyes and gave them a rub. When she opened them, the broom was still sweeping on its own.

"BROOM!" the old lady screeched. "We have company!"

The broom froze, and noticing Martha for the first time, it leapt in fright before clattering lifelessly to the floor.

"Your broom..." Martha couldn't believe what she had just seen. _It's like the stories Father told me..._ She turned to the old woman wearily. "Are...are you a witch?"

"A witch? Why would you think such a thing?" Martha wordlessly pointed to the broom, and the lady sighed. "All right, I am. But please don't tell anyone!" she begged. "I've moved around so many times, and do you know how many property opportunities there are in the middle of nowhere? None! Ugh! Things used to be so much more peaceful in medieval times. No angry mobs coming to kill you."

She passed Martha and walked over to her cat, before stroking it. The cat woke up and purred.

As Martha watched, she realized this woman seemed pretty...harmless. Martha was a girl who had a good judge of character; it had saved her many times before. "I won't tell anyone. Don't worry. But can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you solve problems?"

The witch gave her a puzzled look. "What kind of problems?"

"Well..." Martha sighed. "I was at a garden party, and three men asked me to marry them. The problem is that I've been waiting for the right man to come along; one who's my zing. I didn't feel anything for either of them, but... I've never felt a zing before."

"So you want to know which one to marry?"

"Well, not exactly..." Martha shrugged. "I just want to find the right man for me." She knew that when she got back home, her father would demand she marry one of the three men. _One of them could be my zing and I just don't know it_.

The old lady thought for a second, before moving a stool across the room and standing upon it, reaching for one of the many glass vials. "I have a spell here which takes you to where your true love resides. Or as you phrase it, your 'zing'. Kids these days; always making up their own words."

She handed the vial to Martha. The liquid inside was a mixture of pink and purple, and Martha was hesitant to drink it – if that's what she was supposed to do. "I drink it?"

"Half the vial will do," said the witch. "But remember; your zing could be anywhere in the world. You just may not know it."

Knowing this could be her only chance, she took off the lid and raised it to her lips. Then, closing her eyes, she gulped down half the liquid.

She felt a weird sensation flow through her. She kept her eyes screwed tightly shut, not wanting to know what was happening; it felt like she was flying, the air rushing past her so fast that her ears popped. Her head was beginning to spin, and when she thought she would pass out from what was happening to her, she landed on what felt like sand.

When Martha opened her eyes, she was lying on a beach in the middle of nowhere.


	2. Chapter Two: Crash into Hello

Firstly I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read, review, fav and alert this story. Seriously, I didn't expect this story to get so much feedback!

And I forgot to mention it before, but the witch scene in the last chapter was inspired by _Brave_. Which was also a pretty awesome movie as well.

In this chapter Dracula makes his appearance. I hope people enjoy it, and don't forget to leave feedback. ;)

* * *

Martha sat herself up and looked around, blinking. The air was hot, and before her, the waves of the ocean were crashing against the sandy beach. For as far as she could see the beach was empty; there was no sign of anyone, and looking behind her, she noticed that the plant life was unlike any she had ever seen before.

She wondered if this was a dream so pinched herself. She didn't wake up. So she walked over to the water and allowed the waves to crash into her, soaking her to the bone. This did a good job of cooling her down...but it didn't wake her up.

The girl hauled herself from the water and sat down on the beach again, before hearing a chirping sound coming from her pocket. She looked to see a rather wet Mavis crawling out.

"Mavis!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry! I forgot you were in there again!" Mavis chirped in annoyance, shaking herself dry. Martha felt the drips land against her skin, and looking around again, she realized that she wasn't dreaming; this was real.

She looked down at the remaining liquid in the vial the witch had given her. "Why did it bring me here?" she wondered aloud. Mavis gave a questioning chirp. "This is the vial that witch gave me, telling me that it'll help find my zing. But instead, it sends me here. Why here? There's no one around!" She remembered back to the stories her father had told her; about witches and how tricky they can be, and how one should never trust a witch. "Father was right!" She stood up and threw the vial away; it soared through the air before landing in the bushes.

_Me and my sense of judgement_. It had never failed her before, and Martha wondered why it had failed her this time. _Maybe the witch had something to do with it? I don't know. It doesn't really matter now. I'm far away from her, from what I can tell_.

Mavis gave another questioning chirp.

"I don't know what to do now," Martha replied. "We're stuck on an island who knows where which is inhabited by no one." Feeling herself dry off in the sun, she realized she was getting too hot. So she stood and took off her shoes and stockings, before ripping off the sleeves of her dress. This was followed by a good chunk of the bottom of her dress, leaving it so it still covered her behind but came to above her knees.

"If Father saw me now..." she mused to herself. Her dark eyes scanned the area again. "Well, we can at least see if there's anyone else around." Mavis chirped in agreement and flew into the pocket which remained intact on the dress.

After giving the pocket a tap, Martha set off towards the trees.

* * *

Martha had been walking for hours through the plant life when she finally heard a voice. Instead of calling out she followed it, and eventually, she reached some sort of clearing. Having heard the voice too Mavis crawled out of Martha's pocket and up her dress, resting on her shoulder as the two peered through the bushes.

There was some kind of shack before them; it looked old and grubby, and Martha wondered if anyone lived there. _Maybe another victim of the witch?_ she wondered. But before she stepped out from her cover the door opened, and out stepped...

...a monster?

Martha quickly ducked back into the bushes as the scaly creature passed her hiding place, caring a paper bag while wearing a weird hat and colourful shirt. Martha watched the monster go with wide eyes. _If I hadn't already pinched myself, I would have concluded that I was dreaming_. She looked back at the shack again, and peering closer, she realized there was something written above the door.

'_Welcome to Hawaii: Buy Souvenirs Here_'

"Hawaii?" She remembered the name from one of her lessons; it was an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. _Or was it a group of islands? I don't know; I wasn't really paying attention_. "But at least we know we're in a real place instead of some scary monster realm, right?" She turned to Mavis, who chirped in response.

The door opened again, and Martha turned to see...no one. Instead there was a bag hanging in mid-air, along with a pair of glasses floating above it. "Ghost?" Martha wondered aloud. _But can't ghosts usually be seen? They're usually white spectres, or something like that_. Then she remembered a story about an Invisible Man, and assumed it was him – or at least one of his kind.

The Invisible Man was chuckling to himself. "Wait until the guys see the stuff I brought. Drac's gonna laugh at what I got him. He's irresistible." As he passed by the bushes where Martha was hiding, something fell out of the bag. But the man didn't notice and kept on walking.

Martha poked her head out and was about to call out to him...but thought twice and decided against it. After the encounter with the witch, she didn't know if she could trust him. Instead she picked up the small package which had fallen out, and without thinking, slipped it into her pocket.

* * *

Night had fallen, and Martha was sat on the beech again with Mavis by her side. The girl was holding the package which had been dropped earlier that day; she wasn't sure what it was, and was hesitant to open it in case it was something...ghastly. With monsters, she didn't really know.

She rubbed her arms as the cool night air hit her from the sea. _I wish I could make a fire_. Not only did she not know how, but building one could attract the attention of the monsters. Realizing there was nothing else for her to do, Martha opened the package.

It was a pair of false teeth. And inspecting the top ones further, she realized they were false vampire teeth. She wondered why the Invisible Man had brought them. _For a joke, maybe? It wouldn't be to scare someone; he's scary enough without them_. Curiously – and still with nothing else to do – she put the teeth in and turned to Mavis. "Do I look scary?"

Mavis inspected her for a moment, before shaking her head with a small chirp. Martha deflated. "Oh, come on! These things are scary!" She growled at the bat, revealing her false fangs.

But the bat just laughed, and Martha sighed. "I guess you're a bat, so you shouldn't be scared." Mavis nodded before taking flight. Martha stood up, watching the bat swirl and soar across the dark sky, the stars and the full moon shining down upon them both. For a moment, Martha forgot about the cold night and being trapped on an island apparently filled with monsters.

Then out of the corner of her eye she saw another bat soaring across the sky, and realized that it was about to collide with Mavis.

"Watch out!"

It was too late. The two bats collided and fell into the bushes below. With a gasp, Martha hurried through the bushes to find them, knowing that she couldn't lose her only friend on the island with her. She tried to find where they fell before coming across a small clearing of sand in the shrubs. She spotted Mavis shaking herself better from the collision...but instead of another bat, Martha saw a man lying on the sand, beginning to stir.

_Vampire_.

Martha quickly hurried towards Mavis, skidding across the ground on her knees and scooping the bat up, but before she could hurry away again the vampire sat himself up.

"Oh, my head..." After tucking Mavis into her pocket Martha looked over at him, and in the very same moment, the vampire turned his head and their eyes met.

Time seemed to freeze, and for that one moment, it was as if there was nothing else around and it was only them in a dark world filled with nothing. Martha felt something; something deep within her gut which she had never felt before, and it was a feeling so powerful that she could almost swear it was connecting itself with the man before her. Whatever the feeling was, she liked it, and for that moment it made her forget that this man she saw was a vampire.

But then the moment passed, and it was the man who got to his feet first.

"I'm so terribly sorry! I didn't mean to bump into like that!" he spoke in what Martha recognized as a thick Transylvanian accent. "Are you hurt?"

He held out a hand to her, and Martha found herself self consciously taking it and allowing him to help her up. _He must think I'm a vampire like him. Considering he hasn't seen Mavis and I still have the teeth in my mouth, it's not surprising_. Martha decided to go along with it; it was better than finding out what he'd do to her if he discovered she was a human.

Realizing she hadn't answered his question, she nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." She tried to avoid his gaze, but the man placed a finger under her chin and raised it back up again.

"May I say, you have the most beautiful dark eyes I've ever seen." He smiled, his fangs protruding from his mouth.

Martha refrained from taking a step back. "Um...thank you? I like your...fangs." _Ugh! Why did I say that?_

But the vampire laughed. "That's a good one!"

Martha quickly laughed along with him. She then noticed Mavis poking her head out from the pocket, and pushed her back down again. "Yes, it was. Now if you don't mind I really need to go..."

She turned to leave, but the vampire grabbed her hand hurriedly and clung on. "Wait! Don't go!" When Martha gave him a questioning look, he hesitated and fidgeted under her gaze. "I mean...aren't you staying at the hotel here?"

"Hotel?" Martha blinked in surprise.

"I'll take that as a no," he said. "Just arrived, then?"

"Yes, you could say that." Martha nervously tucked her hair behind her ears. "Listen, it was nice meeting you, but I really need to go-"

"Are you on the run?"

Martha wasn't sure what to say to this. She had to come up with some kind of cover story, and since this was obvious something common (otherwise he wouldn't have asked her), she nodded. It was true, after all. She had been running from her father.

The vampire brought a hand to her face and stroked her cheek, and Martha was surprised by how gentle he was being with her. "Oh, you poor little mouse. How can those nasty humans chase someone like you?"

_Nasty humans?_ Martha quickly nodded along with him. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm running from." It was still true, technically.

"Well, it's OK now," said the vampire in a soothing voice. "You're safe here. We can get you a room in the hotel."

"But I don't have any money."

"I'll pay."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, really-"

"No, no, no, no!" The vampire shushed her with a raised hand. "It would be my pleasure to help a fellow vampire. It's the least I can do. Now, I didn't catch your name."

Martha knew she couldn't tell him her full name; if she ever got back home and he ever found out she was human, he could easily track her down. But there were plenty of girls in the world with her first name, and she supposed that it wouldn't hurt to give a false second name... "Martha...Laubode."

"Vlad Dracula," said the vampire. "You can just call me 'Drac'. All my friends do." Before her eyes, Dracula suddenly changed into a bat. "Come along then. Let's get you a room."

Martha hesitated, knowing that she couldn't perform the same transformation, and if he discovered this she was dead meat. _Think, think, think..._ "Um... I've been flying for a very long time. Across the largest ocean in the world. My wings are really...tired."

Instantly Dracula transformed back into his human-like form. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I should have known. How insensitive of me." He placed his hands lightly on her shoulder, and Martha found herself growing warm at the touch despite his cold hands. "Come on, we'll walk there."

They began to make their way through the plant life with Dracula gently leading her. Martha found herself examining the man more closely; he looked to be somewhere in his early twenties by human standards, with very black hair which appeared well groomed. He was pale, very much like herself, and was dressed in a colourful shirt like the one she had seen the monster wearing before. His trousers were short, and the shoes he wore were sandals.

Dracula saw her examining his clothes. "I assume you only brought what you're wearing?" he asked, referring to the ripped blue dress.

Martha nodded. "There wasn't time to pack." Again, true.

"We'll take care of that," Dracula assured her, patting her arm.

"You really don't have to-"

"I insist," he said, his blue eyes meeting her dark ones once again. When he did this, Martha found that she couldn't argue with him.

The feeling had returned to her stomach, and her skin was tingling with a feel good sensation where his hands were touching her shoulders. _I've never felt this...this...feeling before. Could it be...?_ But she shook her head.

Martha heard music in the distance, which steadily grew louder as she and Dracula covered more ground. Then she could see light and movement through the bushes, and passing through, they stepped out into a lively world filled with colour, sound and activity. There were monsters everywhere of all different shapes, sizes and colours, and Martha felt the butterflies in her stomach when she was suddenly reminded of the phrase 'entering the lion's den'. Her knees began to give way beneath her, and if it wasn't for Dracula's grip on her shoulders, she would have fallen.

"Easy," he told her softly. "You're safe. No one will be hurting you here."

_So long as I keep these teeth in_. Martha hoped that the other monsters would ignore them as they passed through, but that hope fell and she grew nervous when a group of monsters spotted them and came over. She noticed that two were werewolves, one was an Egyptian mummy, and the other two were body parts which had been stitched together. She didn't notice the Invisible Man until his glasses were right before her.

"Drac! You've been out for a long time!" said the male werewolf.

"Eunice was getting ready to celebrate," said the very large monster.

He was shoved by his female companion. "Frank! I was not! Sure, it would be nice to spend our honeymoon _alone_, and all..."

"Who's your lady friend?" the Invisible Man asked. Martha wanted the ground to swallow her up, and kept her mouth firmly shut should the man recognize the false teeth as the ones he'd brought earlier that day.

"Oh, this is Martha Laubode," said Dracula. "Martha, this is Wayne and Wanda Werewolf, Frank and his new wife Eunice, Murray the Mummy, and Griffin the Invisible Man." Martha just waved, too hesitant to speak.

"She seems a little down to me," said the mummy.

Dracula patted Martha's arm in a comforting manner, and Martha found herself glad that his hands were still on her. It made her feel safer, in a weird kind of way. "She's just recently escaped from a mob of torch-bearing humans."

The others gasped.

"Oh, you poor thing," said Wanda, the female werewolf.

"Yes, I'm going to get her a room," Dracula explained further. "So please don't crowd her; she needs time to get over her scare." Martha was thankful for how considerate he was being, but was also curious about how they spoke of humans as if _they_ were the monsters.

The others were nodding in understanding. "OK, you sleep safely tonight," said Wanda, addressing Martha. "Keep a sword under your pillow just in case."

"Or sleep under the bed," said her husband. "Shadows are the safest place to be."

"And make sure the humans don't scoop your brains out," Murray added to this.

He was slapped upside the head by Frank.

"Thank you, Frank." Dracula led Martha past them. "And there's no need to worry; humans don't ever come to this small island. They're too scared of the active volcano." He pointed to said volcano, which had smoke coming out of it.

Martha gasped. "Won't it erupt?"

Dracula chuckled. "No, that's just a special effect to scare away the humans. Now come along, we need to get you a room. This place has terrible service, but I'm sure we can get you one close to mine- I mean, one with a view."

They walked inside, passing by many monsters along the way until they reached what appeared to be the front desk. Sat behind it was a bored goblin, writing something on a scruffy piece of paper with an overly large quill.

Dracula cleared his throat, and the goblin looked up. "Hi, can I get this young lady a room, maybe with a view of the sea? I know that costs extra, but she's been through a lot."

Martha turned to him; she really didn't know why he was going through so much trouble for her. Sure, he thought she was a vampire like him, but she had never seen humans helping each other out unless there was any profit in it for them.

The goblin yawned. "I'm sorry, but there are no more rooms left, sir."

Dracula frowned. "Then why are there still keys hanging up?" He pointed to the hundreds of keys still hanging on hooks behind the desk.

"Those are pre-booked rooms," said the goblin. "If she wanted a room, she should have booked and paid in advance."

"She's on the run from humans."

Noticing that Dracula was getting angry, Martha placed a hand on his arm. "You really don't have to do this-"

"It's not my problem what she's running from," said the goblin, looking back down at the paper in front of him. "Now leave my sight before I call security."

"Please." Martha kept her arm firmly on Dracula's and tugged, trying to pull him away.

It seemed to work, for the vampire turned away and began yelling once they were out of earshot. "Not his _problem?_ This place is the worst hotel ever! Trust me, I'll be opening my _own_ hotel someday, and if a monster ever comes in need of shelter, I'll give them a room free of charge!" He noticed Martha's hesitant look and calmed himself down. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she insisted. "I'll just sleep outside."

"In the daylight?" His face turned into one of horror.

Martha slapped herself internally. _Forgot that vampires can go out during the day_. "There's the shade."

"No, I won't let a pretty face like you risk something as dangerous as that," he said. "You can sleep in my room."

Martha was hesitant. That would mean sleeping in his bed with him, and although she had never been one for proper behaviour, sleeping in bed with a man before she was married didn't sit right with her. "In your bed?"

"No, of course not," he said. "The hotel gave me a two bedroom place instead of one bedroom. Seriously, worst hotel ever. Mark my words, I'll be building my own hotel one day, and it will be better than this dump! Come on."

He took her hand in his, and all Martha could do was follow him as he led her to his room. Martha found herself looking down at her pocket where Mavis was hiding, and the little bat looked up with the same amount of hesitation.

Things had suddenly gotten a whole lot crazier.


	3. Chapter Three: Night with the Monsters

Again, thank you for all the wonderful reviews you've all been leaving! :D

* * *

When Martha woke up, it took her a few minutes to remember where she was and what had happened the night before. She clambered out of bed and gave her face a rub, before trudging over to the window and opening the thick, black curtains. It was evening.

_Did I really sleep for that long?_ She had fallen asleep late in the evening, from what she could figure out from her internal clock, meaning that she had slept for the rest of the night and all day. _From what happened yesterday, it's no wonder_. Mavis appeared from underneath her bed sheets, and the girl sent the bat a smile.

Martha then heard footsteps in the next bedroom, and she quickly shut the curtains tight. _I can't have him see the sunlight not affecting my skin_. She then sat down on the bed and used her hands to comb her own hair, looking naturally shy and nervous as Dracula knocked.

"Are you awake, my dear Martha?" he asked.

Martha at first nodded...but then realized he couldn't see her. "Yes, I'm awake," she replied.

"Are you decent?"

She turned to Mavis and nodded over to the pillows of the bed; the bat understood and quickly hid underneath them. "Yes, I'm decent."

The door opened and Dracula poked his head inside. "Good evening! My, you must have been really tired! You slept through the night and all day as well! You're certainly looking better." He entered the room, and with his back turned, Martha quickly checked that her false teeth were still in her mouth.

Her eyes widened when she realized that the top set were missing – the most obvious. "Yes I feel much better," she said, placing a hand over her mouth as she began to search the bed covers.

Dracula stood by the window, gently pulling the curtains aside just a tad to check on the height of the sun. He seemed satisfied with how low it was for he didn't back away, which gave Martha time to try and find the missing teeth. "I was hoping to buy you some clothes today," he said, his back still turned to her. "Eunice and Wanda want to help out, as well. I'm not sure what kind of input they can put in, though; they both have a terrible sense of fashion."

"That's great. I mean, bad. I mean...you get what I mean." Martha wasn't really paying attention. She knew that she had to find the false teeth before Dracula turned back around. The bed was already looking like a mess.

The vampire made a murmur of agreement. "I'm sure we can find something that suits you. I don't even know why you are wearing those rags; it looks like one of those nasty corsets the humans wear."

Martha couldn't help but smirk. "It came with one, but I refused to wear it. I don't get how people can _breathe_ in those things." Mavis suddenly appeared from under the pillows, holding the false teeth on the end of her claw. Martha immediately snatched them off the bat and shoved them in her mouth, while covering her friend back up with the pillow (and ignoring Mavis's chirp of annoyance).

She was just in time, too. For the moment she turned back to Dracula, he was turning to face her. "Well, the sun has set, but you may need to give it a few more minutes before drawing the curtains. Honestly, why do they build a hotel for us in the hottest place in the world? Most monsters _hate_ the sun!"

Martha nodded. She was at least in agreement with the monsters on _one_ thing. _Well, two things, counting the corset_.

* * *

"Oh, honey, you look gorgeous!"

"She looks like a prettier version of _you_."

Martha was wearing an incredibly short (and tight) skirt, some unnaturally high heels, and a sweater which made her feel like she was wearing a sheep. Not to mention the large and heavy earrings dangling from her ears (Martha wondered how Eunice had been able to put those in).

She didn't want to insult the monster; she was only trying to help, after all, but the clothes she had picked out were only a little better than a corset. A little better, as in she could actually breathe, although she had trouble walking in the high heels and tight skirt. Trying to take a step forwards she almost tripped, and thankfully Dracula was there to break her fall. Three times. Martha felt guilty that the third time was purposely done, just because she liked his scent.

_Ugh! What am I doing?_

"We're trying something else," said Dracula, after Martha almost fell the third time.

Eunice looked insulted. "This is fashion, Drac! And I know fashion!"

"Eunice, your hair looks like a badger that's been given the same treatment which brought you to life. So no, you don't."

* * *

When Martha left the changing rooms again, she was wearing a hand-knitted jumper, a white shirt underneath, and a plain brown skirt. It was an improvement from the last outfit, but it still didn't look right. Not to mention that the jumper was itchy.

"Is it supposed to be like this?" the girl asked, her hands roaming her body as she scratched everywhere the jumper touched.

Wanda nodded. "It saves me from having to use my leg to scratch myself."

Dracula rolled his eyes. "Yes, well Martha doesn't have fur like you, nor does she need to scratch herself in such a manner. Looks like I'm going to have to do this myself."

* * *

When Martha stepped out the third time, she was feeling a lot more comfortable; in fact, she had never felt so comfortable in all her young life. The dress which Dracula had picked out for her had no sleeves; only one strap over her right shoulder, leaving the left one bare. The dress was black with white and pink flowers patterned across it, giving it a Hawaiian feel.

The two female monsters let out a gasp, while Dracula's eyes widened. "Oh, honey, you look absolutely divine!" said Eunice. "Why didn't _I_ think to pull out that dress?"

"It certainly matches that pretty face of yours," Wanda agreed.

Dracula just wordlessly crossed the room before revealing a pink flower in his hand and tucking it into her hair. Martha didn't flinch as he did this, and even found herself blushing as his hand lingered for longer than it should. She averted her gaze to the floor to prevent him from seeing her cheeks turn red, but like he had done the night before, Dracula placed a finger under her chin and titled it back up.

"You sweet fang, you don't look a day over 118. That's how old you are, isn't it?"

Martha's eyes widened. _Vampires grow that old?_ She realized that her real age could blow her cover, so nodded. "Yes, good guess. How old are you?"

"126."

_OK, vampires live for centuries, that's normal. Good call_. "You look younger," she said politely. _More like centuries younger_.

Dracula chuckled, before turning to the gremlin helper who had just appeared. "I'll take five of these for the young lady. On me." The gremlin nodded before trotting away.

"You really don't have to do this..." Martha began again.

But like before, Dracula raised a hand to shush her. "Really, it's the least I can do. And after this, why don't you join us for lunch?"

The thought of seeing the other monsters again made Martha nervous...but considering how nice Dracula was being to her, she knew that it would be rude to decline.

"Sure. I _am_ feeling a little hungry. What's on the menu?"

"Scorpions and mice."

Martha suddenly lost her appetite.

* * *

"I don't think she likes me."

"Of course she likes you," said Wayne. "She's just shaken from her experience."

The group were sat in the hotel restaurant waiting for their meal to arrive. Martha was due to arrive as well, but she was late, and Dracula was beginning to wonder whether she was coming or not.

He sighed. "I smothered her. I was too full on, and in her face. I should have given her some time to recover." The vampire rested his chin against the table in front of him, sulking.

"Come on, you handsome devil, you!" said Griffin. He gave his friend a friendly punch. "You're irresistible to her! She'll be falling into your arms in no time at all!"

Dracula turned to him, sitting himself upright again. "You think so?"

"If you feel this strongly about her, then chances are she'll feel it for you, too," said Frank, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I hope you're right," Dracula said. "I don't know what I'd do if she doesn't."

"Here's your chance to find out." Wanda pointed across the room.

Dracula looked over at where she was pointing...and froze.

* * *

Martha tried to hide her face behind her hair as she entered the restaurant, not wanting to attract the attention of any of the other monsters. She would have arrived sooner, but she had been sat on her bed for too long looking in the mirror, wondering if there was any point in showing up at all. After all, she wanted to find a way home instead of becoming distracted by new friends and a handsome vampire...

She shook herself. _I need to stop thinking like that..._

Eventually she had decided to go and enjoy herself (or at least try to) while she was stuck; it really wouldn't hurt, not to mention that if she didn't go, she would be setting a bad example to the vampire helping her.

She spotted the monster group at one of the tables at the back of the room, and made her way over. When she arrived, Dracula immediately stood up and held out a chair for her. Martha nodded her thanks before taking a seat next to his. Griffin was sat to her left, and Martha tried not to look at him in case he recognized her false teeth.

"I hope you don't mind that we ordered already?" asked Dracula.

Martha only shook her head; from what she had been told was on the menu, there wasn't really much of a choice for her. She only hoped that the portions were small. _I'll have to find a way home soon, otherwise I'll starve here_. "What are we having?"

"The scorpions and mice I told you about," said Dracula.

_Well, that's better than the other stuff on the menu_, Martha thought. She hid her shudder at the thought of what else she had been told about.

The plates arrived and were placed in front of them by several goblin waiters, and Martha was relieved to see that the creepy crawlies they would be eating weren't alive. She glanced down at her dress pocket and saw Mavis curled up inside, waiting patiently; she had brought the bat along since not only did she need to feed her, but Martha also needed somewhere for the food to go. The bat's diet consisted of mice, and Martha hoped that she liked scorpions as well.

Among other things, an entire sheep had been ordered for there werewolves, a plate of termites for Murray and something she didn't recognize for the others. Everyone else began to dig in while Martha hesitated.

Dracula noticed this. "Are you not hungry?" he asked.

"Oh, no, I am," said Martha. She hoped that he would turn back to his own mean, but instead he continued to watch her, waiting for her to try something. Martha knew she had to; she picked up her knife and fork and cut open one of the mice on her plate, thankful that the fur had been stripped off the little creature. Then, after some hesitation, she brought it up to her mouth and popped it inside.

It sat on her tongue for a few moments, and Martha expected a foul taste to fill her mouth...but instead, she was met with a rather pleasant one. She chewed, waiting for the disgusting taste to emerge, but nothing happened. _Tastes like chicken_.

"You like it?" asked Dracula.

Martha nodded. "It wasn't what I was expecting, but I like it," she replied honestly. Dracula turned back to his own meal, and as Martha was about to take another bite, a claw dug into her side. She looked down and met Mavis's pleading eyes. "Oh, you want something, don't you? Well, turns out I like the mice, so you can have my scorpions." She looked around the table to make sure no one was looking before taking a scorpion from her plate and handing it down to Mavis.

The bat took a bite into it...but then spat it back out again. She looked up at Martha, but the young woman had already turned back to her meal and was beginning to chat happily with Wanda between mouthfuls. Mavis didn't want to disturb her; after all, the girl hadn't had a decent meal since before the garden party. The bat looked around the room for any scraps she could have, and her eyes eventually settled upon a trolley that was being pushed by a gremlin, containing a variety of leftovers. After checking that Martha wasn't looking, Mavis hopped onto the cart as it passed, hiding under the white sheets.

"So you live just outside London in a "shanty town" as you call it, and no one's noticed you yet?" Martha asked Wanda, not noticing that her bat friend had left.

The werewolf nodded. "We always stick to the shadows."

"It's much safer there," said Wayne, in a paranoid manner. "Then at night we just take off our clothes and pretend to be homeless dogs scavenging the garbage."

"I hate it when you do that," said Dracula. "It's indecent."

Martha continued to listen as the conversation continued, absent-mindedly picking up another scorpion and handing it down to Mavis...only for the bat to not take it. Confused, Martha looked down, and discovered that her friend was missing.

She began to panic. _If anyone sees her..._ Thinking fast, she purposely dropped her fork. "Oops. I'll just get that." She ducked down and looked under the table, but her friend wasn't there. The girl picked up her fork again and placed it on the table, and looking around the room, she tried to look for any signs of the bat. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of her on one of the trolleys which was just entering the kitchen.

Noticing the toilet door next to it, she got an idea and rose from her seat. "Could you excuse me? I need to use the little vampire's room." The others just shrugged this off and returned to their own meals.

Martha walked casually over to the toilet door, and then at the last moment, she slipped in through the kitchen door instead. Steam filled the room, and the girl could hear the many shouts of the chefs and cooks as they prepared the meals for the guests outside. A horrid smell filled the air, which didn't surprise Martha in the slightest, considering what was on the menu. She kept out the way of the cooks as she moved through the kitchen, staying out of sight, and when she reached the end of the room she saw the trays of leftovers being tipped down some kind of chute. Her eyes widened when she saw the plate Mavis was on get tipped away, and wondered briefly why the gremlin hadn't seen her.

With a gasp she hurried over, and once the gremlin walked away, Martha stuck her head in the chute to see how far it went down. But it wasn't long before she lost her balance and fell down the chute with a cry of shock.

* * *

Back in the restaurant, Dracula had finished with his meal and was fiddling with a box in his hands. This didn't go unnoticed by his friends. "What you got there, Drac?" asked Wayne.

"Oh, it's just a...something I picked up for Martha earlier," the vampire replied hesitantly.

Eunice gasped. "That better not be an engagement ring!"

"No, no, it's not!" he explained hurriedly. He opened the box to reveal a broach in the shape of a bat. "I just thought she might like it."

Over on the next table a larger monster was sat, who after taking a bite out of his meal, began to choke. The sudden movement caused a waiter passing to fall backwards into Dracula's chair, and the vampire dropped the box which contained the broach. Said broach was sent flying and landed somewhere across the room.

With a gasp, Dracula hurried out of his chair and began to crawl across the floor in an attempt to get it back.

As this was happening Martha re-entered brushing off leftovers from her dress, the pink flower gone from her hair, and Mavis back in her pocket. "And that's why we never sit on a plate of leftovers."

The bat chirped an apology...but then her eyes widened in hunger when she saw a small _live_ mouse hurry across the room. She leapt out of the pocket again and took off after it as the little creature scuttled under a table.

Martha sighed with frustration. "Ugh. Not again." Noticing that everyone was distracted by the chocking monster, she got on her hands and knees and chased her bat friend from table to table, crawling under each one and squeezing through the many legs of the monsters. "This night couldn't get any worse."

She suddenly bumped into someone, and found herself nose to nose with Dracula under a table. The blood immediately rushed to her face.

"Um... This is awkward..." said Dracula. They both backed out from under the table and stood up, before approaching each other again. "There was...a good reason for me to be under there." His eyes averted to the floor, and his face brightened up when he caught sight of the broach by their feet. "And here it is!" He picked it up and presented it to Martha. "I...saw this and...thought of you."

Martha took it with a smile. _This guy is really starting to make an impression on me_. "Thank you. It's beautiful." She began to attach it to her dress, but Dracula took it from her gently and did it himself.

Thankfully for her he didn't ask what she was doing under the table. _Not sure how I would have explained that_. As Dracula walked her back to their table, Martha felt the weight of Mavis as she crawled back into her pocket with a dead mouse in tow.


	4. Chapter Four: Zings Only Happen Once

Thanks again for all the lovely reviews! :D

And in case you're all wondering how this is getting updated so fast, it's because the story is already pre-written and I'm just posting one chapter a day. I felt it would be better to do this because A) People aren't waiting for chapters, B) I don't have difficulty changing parts of the story if I feel it's going in another direction, & C) Just in case I ever want to abandon a story, I won't be letting people down.

Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Martha continued to stare at the ceiling, as she had been doing all morning, with the thin bed sheets having been kicked away hours ago. She couldn't sleep. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't sleep.

She wasn't sure how long she was going to last in a place where those around her slept in the day and came out at night. It didn't feel right to her; the sun made her unable to shut her eyes, and her internal clock was nagging her to get up and _do something_. But she couldn't do that; vampires didn't go out during the day, and if anyone saw her, then her cover would be blown.

After tossing and turning, she looked at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. _Two O'clock_.

_Why am I even trying?_ She climbed out of bed and passed Mavis, who was hanging upside down from her bedpost. Martha pulled back the curtains and beheld the bright sun that was low in the sky. There were no monsters around from what she could see, and there was an eerie silence which gave her the confidence to take a chance. _Maybe if I went for a quick swim, it would wear me out enough to go to sleep_. Knowing it would be too risky to leave through the front door, she opened the window and climbed out, thankful that the room was on the ground floor.

The hotel's private beach was a short walk away, as Dracula had shown Martha during a tour the evening before. She didn't run into any monsters on the way, and once she reached the water, she took off her nightgown and dived in. _I don't have much time. I need to be back in time to have a good sleep before Dracula wakes up_.

Just thinking about him caused her stomach to flip, and she allowed her thoughts to dwell on him for a little longer as she swam. Ever since she'd arrived he'd been nothing but a gentleman to her, and she couldn't help but feel some kind of growing connection between them. _Is this what a zing is? Because if so, Mother wasn't wrong when she said I'd find it where I'd least expect it. I mean, a vampire of all people_. It sounded almost like those stories she'd heard where young woman were kidnapped by pirates, and ended up falling for the captain and not wanting to go back home. And in her opinion, those kinds of stories portrayed women as helpless and weak.

_Is this really wrong?_ Martha tried to assure herself that she wasn't entirely helpless. Everyone needed help sometimes, and she was the one disguised as a vampire and bravely staying among the monsters in order to survive. She kept on telling herself this as she continued to swim through the water.

When she grew tired, she climbed out of the water and decided to allow the sun to dry herself off before she went back for a sleep. Her eyes began to close, and Martha felt herself falling into a dream-like state...

"Martha?"

Her eyes opened. It was night, and Dracula was looking over her with a concerned expression. Martha immediately sat up. "What time is it?"

"Seven," he replied. "How long have you been out here? When I woke up, you were gone."

Martha hid her relief that he hadn't found Mavis. "I decided to go for an early swim the moment the sun went down." She hoped he hadn't woken up before this.

Apparently not, since he seemed to believe this story. "And then you fell asleep?"

"I guess I was more tired than I thought," she admitted, giving her eyes a rub to wake herself up. "So what are we doing today- I mean tonight?"

He didn't notice the slip-up. "Well, while we're here, why don't we go for a swim? I know you've already had one, but it's more fun with others."

"How so?"

He used telekinesis to pick her up before dumping her into the water, letting out a laugh as she cried out in shock.

Martha surfaced, spitting out a mouthful of water. _Vampires can do that? I hope he doesn't expect me to do the same_. "Drac! No fair!" She climbed out of the water, dripping wet.

"See? What did I tell you? More fun!" he exclaimed. "Just don't use your same mind powers to do the same to me, OK?"

"I don't have to use mind powers."

Martha grabbed his arms and dragged him into the water with her, before jumping on him and pushing him under. He was obviously a lot stronger than her, since it didn't take much effort to push her off.

"Oh, you want to play that kind of game, do you?" He ducked under the water, and Martha followed him.

She chased him a little way before he suddenly disappeared, and confused, Martha surfaced and looked around for him. The vampire had disappeared from sight. "Drac? Drac, this isn't funny."

There was a splash behind her, and Martha cried out when two arms circled around her and picked her up, before throwing her away so she landed back in the water. When Martha surfaced again Dracula was there, laughing.

"I learnt that little trick from the Creature of the Black Lagoon," he explained.

Martha rolled her eyes before she splashed him. He splashed back, and a water war began.

* * *

Later on, after having shared a coconut together (complete with floating bugs which Martha found surprisingly tasty), the two visited the gift shop. Martha's eyes fell upon a black and white photo of the beach close to where she had first met Dracula, and she picked it up to examine it closer. At first she wondered why the monsters seemed to be more advanced than humans, but then her train of thought led her to that first night when her eyes had first met Drac's, and something had passed between them.

"Do you like it?" Martha turned to find Dracula standing behind her. He was referring to the picture in her hand.

She nodded. "It is a beautiful place, even if too sunny and hot for my tastes."

"You and I both," Dracula agreed. "In my opinion, though, there are things which are far more beautiful." Martha noticed that he was looking straight into her eyes as he said this, and blushed.

He took the picture from her and walked up to the counter. "I'll take this." When it had been paid for, he handed it back to her. "For you."

She took it from him with a smile of thanks, and the two walked outside. Martha then noticed a long line of brooms and remarked, "Must be a lot of maids here."

But to her surprise, Dracula burst out laughing. "You are funny, Martha! Those brooms are rented out for those who wish to take a flight over the island."

"Oh." Martha felt a little embarrassed by her mistake and was relieved that Dracula thought she meant the remark as a joke. "Could we?"

Again, he laughed. "You have such a sense of humour. We can fly over the island without them."

Martha mentally slapped herself. _Vampires turn into bats, stupid! Now he expects we'll be doing that! Unless..._ "Actually, er...my bat form is still very tired from the flight here," Martha lied. "I tried changing this morning by I collapsed from the effort." She turned away and waited for his response, hoping this was a real condition for vampires.

Dracula gave her a look of sympathy and laid a gentle hand upon her shoulder. "There's no need to feel ashamed. It happens to everyone. Even me sometimes. Tell you what; I'll hire you a broom so we can go flying together. Maybe being up in the air will get your energy back, who knows?"

_Unlikely_, Martha thought to herself as she followed Dracula towards the rows of brooms.

* * *

Half an hour later, after having been given some lessons on how to operate the broom, Martha was ready to take off.

"Remember what the instructor told you," said Dracula. "Just push off, but not too quickly."

Martha nodded, and closed her eyes. _I'm going to be the first human to take flight_. She took in a deep breath, let it out, before pushing off the ground.

The broom took off at an alarming pace and Martha cried out from the shock, gripping the broom tightly with white knuckles as she began to spin out of control.

"Martha! Pull back! Pull back!" Martha dared to open her eyes in order to see Dracula appear next to her in his bat form, straining as he flapped his wings in order to keep up with her.

Martha just screwed her eyes shut again. "I can't! I might fall!"

"You've flown before!"

"Not in _this_ form!" she lied.

Suddenly Martha felt a weight on the broom behind her, and she was suddenly upright and travelling slower than before. Daring to open her eyes, Martha found two arms wrapped around her and holding the broom as well, hands on her own. Dracula was gently guiding the broom through the sky, and Martha felt brave enough to look around at her surroundings.

It was amazing. The stars were shining brighter than they had been when she was on the ground, and the moon looked so close she swore she could reach out and touch it. The island looked like a tiny speck in the vast ocean below, and Martha also spotted the other islands close by; she could even see small specks of light where fires had been lit.

"Are there people down on those islands?" she asked.

"Yes," the vampire replied. "They don't bother us, though."

Martha wondered if there was anyone there who could help her. It would be so easy; she could sneak out during the day, find a boat and row over to one of them. It wasn't a great distance between the islands. Then she would be able to find a way home from there, even though it would take a long time and a lot of travelling.

One of Dracula's arms left their position holding the broom and wrapped itself around her. "Don't worry. If a human comes to the hotel, I'll protect you. I promise."

Martha felt her heart beating faster, and resting her head against the man's chest, all thoughts about taking a boat and leaving vanished from her mind.

* * *

They parked the broom in a clearing where the lights from the hotel couldn't reach them, allowing them to stargaze in the dark without the chance of anyone interrupting. The two were laying on the soft sand as they watched the stars.

"So where did you get your necklace from?" Dracula asked curiously. "It's beautiful."

"It belonged to my mother; she gave it to me not long before she died," Martha replied. She felt a swell of sadness in her heart at the thought of her kind, loving mother, and how much she had suffered in her loveless marriage with Abraham. "When she gave this to me, she told me to never give up on my zing."

Dracula sent her a questioning glance. "Your zing?"

"I think it's a word she made up." Martha shrugged. "It's a concept; she believed that there is always one person out there who is perfect for you. The person you're meant to be with, who just...fits. She said that you only find a zing once in your life, and when you do, you should cherish the time you spend with them."

As she said this, Dracula took her hand into his and gave it a light squeeze. "You mother sounded like a wise vampire," he said. "I would love to have met her."

Martha gave him a sad smile. "Makes me miss her more, knowing that she never found her zing."

Dracula looked surprised by this. "She didn't? Then what about your father?"

"It was an arranged marriage," Martha explained. She turned away. "It was...complicated." In truth, her mother never gave her the full explanation. But given that she was born not long after they were married, she had a good guess what that reason was.

"I'm sorry," Dracula told her, taking her chin gently in his hand and turning her back to face him. "Truly, I am. Whoever set up such a thing is no better than a human. Only _they_ set up marriages without love; they think they can profit from them. It's sick!"

Martha opened her mouth to argue, but found that what he'd said was...mostly true. She remembered back to what Arthur had told her, and realized that most of the arranged marriages she knew of were organized by fathers who thought they could profit from the union of two families. Most of the time neither of the children were happy with it. "Not...all humans are like that. There was this...one woman who was OK." This was technically true; had her mother met the monsters, she would have been fine with them.

"An odd one out," said Dracula bitterly. "Humans; always jumping to conclusions that monsters are out to get them. They see us, see that we're different, and try and kill us for it. Why? What did we ever do to them? Nothing! Their society is just full of prejudice and hate!"

Biting her lip, Martha found that she actually...agreed with him. She had never witnessed any kind of love other than the love from her mother; even Lucy had given her a wide birth at times whenever she did something that was considered unladylike. Her father had constantly lectured her about life and how it was about moving up in the world; about how the world was a jungle, and in order to survive one needed to be on top no matter what it took. She had never seen anyone helping each other unless there was profit to be made... Her kind were worse than the monsters.

She suddenly wasn't feeling so good.

"Martha, are you ill?" Martha just averted her gaze from him; she couldn't let him see the guilt in her eyes. She knew if he did, he would figure it out. "Martha, I'm sorry I said those things so soon after you... It was thoughtless of me." Once again, he gently turned her face back towards him, and when their eyes met, something stirred.

Dracula felt the sudden urge to kiss her. He tilted her chin up and began to lean in, but when he saw the welling tears in her eyes he realized just how upset she was after hearing about the humans, so pulled away again.

_Did he just try and kiss me?_ Martha noticed that the expression on his face was rather...fearful, but not in a way that suggested he'd found out about her. _He's afraid to kiss me? That's...actually kind of sweet_.

"Maybe we should be getting back," Dracula suggested. He got to his feet and held out his hand for her.

Martha accepted it and allowed him to help her up, before the pair walked back to where they had left the broom. As they walked, Martha felt her stomach doing little somersaults; it was a good feeling, and it made her smile.

_That witch didn't trick me, after all_.

But with that realization came a sense of dread. _My zing is a vampire? This __won't end well at all_.

* * *

"And it's not because I don't think you're my zing; you are. It's just I'm not sure if this relationship could work, because...I'm a human. The teeth are fake, and the bat was my friend, Mavis. I know you hate humans and think they're the real monsters, but...this relationship could work, right? I mean, my father won't approve, and neither would your friends, for that matter, but we're each other's zing...even though you're a lot older than I am... Ugh! I don't even know what side of the argument I'm on anymore!" Martha sat down on her bed and brought a hand up to her forehead.

Mavis crawled across to her and rubbed against her other hand, chirping.

"Honesty? I don't know if it could work," said Martha. "You should have heard him; he hates humans. And having experienced humans first hand, I honestly don't blame him. We _are_ monsters."

Mavis chirped again and rubbed harder against Martha's hand.

The girl smiled. "I know you think I'm different. But will he see it? I know he's gotten to know me, but..." She sighed; she knew she was just kidding herself. Zing or not, this relationship couldn't work. "I'll just have to tell him it won't work." Mavis gave a questioning chirp. "I don't know what I'll tell him; maybe I'll say I'm in love with a werewolf, or something."

Her heart breaking, Martha rose and went to find Dracula. She knew she would be hurting both of them, but it was for the best.

* * *

"Drac! You've only just met her!"

The men were sat down in the lobby of the hotel. Wanda and Eunice were spending some girl time together, and with the two gossipers gone, Dracula felt the need to tell his friends exactly what he felt about Martha.

Frank couldn't believe it. "I mean, isn't it a little early to be thinking about that?"

"You and Eunice got married pretty quickly," Dracula argued.

The monster rolled his eyes. "We're on the run from the doctor who made her; monsters on the run do that!"

"She's on the run, too," the vampire pointed out. "If you think about it, we _all_ are."

"But how do you think she feels?" asked Wayne.

"Plus you haven't even kissed yet," Griffin added to this.

Dracula looked hesitant. "Well, we...almost kissed."

The eyes of the other monsters widened.

"Then why didn't you?" asked Murray.

"Because we had just been talking about humans, and she looked upset," Dracula explained. Then he sighed. "And...I was...scared. I don't know how she feels about me. And if I kissed her and she didn't... Oh, I don't know what to think anymore. She's my zing!"

This time, the other monsters looked confused. "Your zing?"

As this was happening, Martha was making her way towards the lobby. She was still going over what she was going to say to Dracula. "Look, the truth is... You're a great guy, and I really appreciate you helping me, but...the truth is...I just don't...feel..." She sighed. "I hate that I have to do this."

She continued walking, but just as she was about to enter the lobby, she heard Dracula say the word 'zing'. Curious, she paused to listen.

"Martha was telling me about it tonight," the vampire explained. "It was a word her mother used to describe a special kind of love. The love which two people share when...they are meant for each other. She said you only find a zing once in your life, and sometimes it may not last very long, but while it does, you cherish it. A love like this... I feel it knows no boundaries. I can't give up on her because I'll never find this again."

These words spoke loud and clearly for Martha.

He was right; she would never find this again. Ever since her mother had told her about a zing, Martha had always wanted to find hers; now she had...and she realized that vampire or not, she couldn't let Dracula go.

She would just have to cross the human bridge when they came to it.

Taking a deep breath, she turned the corner and made herself known. Dracula's eyes widened and he hurried over to her. "Martha, there you are!"

"Drac, can we talk...privately?" she asked.

"Yes, yes, of course." Dracula began to walk away, and then after having a second thought, turned to his friends. "And don't even think about following us, Invisible Man."

"Aw, nuts!"

Dracula rolled his eyes before leading Martha outside. There was a small bit of light on the horizon where the sun would soon be rising, so Dracula led Martha to a shaded area where the sun wouldn't hit them, should the sun rise before they went back inside.

"Now," he began, "what did you want to tell me?"

Martha knew that couples never kept secrets from each other. This would be the perfect time to tell him she was a human and see how he reacted; to see if their love was real, and if zings really did know no boundaries. But seeing how happy he looked while staring into her eyes...she swallowed her confession.

"Drac," she began, "do you know I was telling you about finding my zing?" He nodded, and Martha couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. "Well...I think I found mine."

Dracula's eyes widened. "It's the goblin, isn't it? Or that monster who was choking on his food in the restaurant-"

He was cut off by Martha leaning in to kiss him.

What the two had felt before suddenly multiplied into something that neither of them could quite believe or put into words, but it was also something they wanted to experience for the rest of their lives. They knew then and there that they would be together for as long as life would let them.

The kiss was interrupting by a familiar voice. "They're kissing! You guys owe me the rest of your vacation money!" Not very far away, annoyed moans were heard.

Dracula turned to find no one standing there, but he knew better. "I told you not to follow us!"

"I know. That's why I took off my glasses."

"UGH!"

Martha just laughed at the exchange.


	5. Chapter Five: Disaster Party

The chapter most of you have been waiting for; the reveal. But how will it happen? Read and find out! Note: This isn't the last chapter. We're not at the end quite yet. ;)

Oh, and the song in this is _Run_ by Snow Patrol.

Hope you all enjoy, and thanks again for all your lovely reviews!

* * *

There came a knock at the door.

"Martha, sweet fang, are you ready yet? Everyone is waiting."

Martha smiled at the sound of her zing's voice. "I'll be right there." She tied the dark cape around her – matching the one Dracula owned – which she had brought earlier that day. _Well...technically he brought it, since it was with the money he lent me_.

After this was done, Martha walked over to the mirror and gazed at her reflection, tucking a stray hair from her eyes. Remembering back to the garden party, the girl found that what she was wearing looked...right, compared to the clothes she had been forced to wear back home. Under her cape was a dark dress with short sleeves, which Dracula had brought her while she had been buying the cape.

_Drac..._ The very thought of him gave her stomach that giddy feeling she enjoyed so much. He had invited her to a band performance which he and the boys were putting on, as a treat for their final night at the hotel. Afterwards Martha would be going home with him; there was no where else for her to go, and she didn't particularly want to face her father again.

Behind her, Mavis chirped, and Martha rolled her eyes.

"Of course I'm going to tell him," she replied. "Just...not yet. I don't want to ruin our last night here."

Even then, Martha wasn't sure if she could tell him at all. He was so happy with her, and it made her hope that he would see past what she was...but another part of her whispered that he would never accept her for being human, and that he would leave her when he found out. Or worse yet, bite her and suck out her blood.

_Ugh! Don't think that!_ Dracula had already mentioned that he hated human blood; she giggled as she remembered his exact words of it being too fatty, and never knowing where it had been.

There was another knock at the door. "Are you ready now, sweet fang?"

Martha quickly checked that her false vampire teeth were in, and allowed Mavis to crawl into her dress pocket. She then found herself absent-mindedly placing the photograph Dracula had bought her in her other pocket, before answering. "Yes." She opened the door and almost collided with Dracula, who instantly became wide eyed when he beheld her. His eyes especially lingered on the cape she had brought.

"You look...you look... Wow."

The girl blushed, and quickly tucked her hair behind her ear. "You look pretty 'wow' yourself." She looked him up and down, liking how smart he looked in what he had referred to as his 'usual attire'.

The vampire held out an arm towards her. "Shall we?"

Martha smiled, before linking arms with him as they left their room together. Walking along the hallways towards the lobby, Martha found herself resting her head against Dracula's shoulder, and she let out a sight. _I won't let anything or anyone take this away from me_.

* * *

The tables in the restaurant had been cleared away and the chairs were lined up along the sidelines in case anyone needed to sit down. Various monsters had taken to the dance floor, while others were standing off to the sides with drinks as they laughed and chatted to one another. There was a general friendly atmosphere throughout, and in the background, Mexican music was playing from the opening band on stage.

When she had first arrived, this scene would have made Martha nervous. But she had learnt over the past few days that the monsters were harmless; they were more afraid of humans than humans were afraid of them, and were actually very friendly. She smiled at the scene before her as she entered with Dracula beside her, and after scanning the room, the two spotted their friends next to the stage; the boys were preparing to go on while Eunice and Wanda were giving them words of encouragement.

"You'll do great, honey," Wanda told her husband. "Just carry a sword with you in case you're attacked by one of those crazy fans." Wayne's happy expression disappeared at this, and he hurriedly looked around for the supposedly "crazed fans" before diving into the shadows.

"Frank, if you mess this up, I'll forever wear a paper bag over my head because I'll be too ashamed to be seen in public!" said Eunice.

Dracula chuckled as he and Martha arrived on the scene. "That will be an improvement, Eunice."

Frank chuckled as well, but doing so earned a slap from his wife.

"Come on, guys; we're going on in five minutes," said Griffin.

The Mexican band finished, and after taking a bow they left the stage; the boys picked up their instruments and walked on in order to set up, and Dracula unlinked his arm from Martha's.

"We shouldn't be too long," he told her. "Why don't you get something to eat?" He pointed over to the snack table nearby, and Martha turned to see a selection of food which, days ago, would have made her gag. But now, it actually looked...appetizing. She turned back to Dracula, just as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Love you."

She smiled, blushing, and watched as her love turned and ventured up onto the stage behind his friends. Deciding to follow his suggestion Martha turned and walked over to the snack table; there was a bowl filled with eyes, a slice of bread with screaming cheese spread over the top (Martha wasn't sure what to make of this one at all), a selection of very large boiled eggs, and the mice and scorpions from before.

There was also a bowl of apples which, according to the label, had been flavoured to taste like cow blood. Shrugging, Martha picked one up and sunk her teeth into it.

"Martha!"

The girl jumped from the shock, coughing up the piece of apple which had gone down the wrong way before turning to find Eunice behind her. Martha rested her hand upon her chest and panted for breath. "Sorry, you scared me."

Eunice took her hand. "Come on, we need to get to the front! The boys are about to start!" She pulled Martha away from the table, and in the chaos that followed with everyone trying to get as close to the stage as possible, Martha didn't realize that during her coughing fit, the false teeth had been spat out and were now lying on the snack table.

Martha and Eunice were able to get a spot at the front next to Wanda, and not a moment later, the music started playing. It was unlike anything Martha had ever heard before, but this wasn't a bad thing; the music she had always danced to at parties had always been dull and boring, the dancing making it more so. But while this music was slow, it had a ring to it which made it mysterious. Her eyes falling upon Dracula, she wondered why he wasn't playing an instrument...until he opened his mouth.

"_I'll sing it one last time for you. Then we really have to go. You've been the only thing that's right, in all I've done._"

His voice... It made Martha shiver in all the right ways. _He has the voice of an angel_. Which was ironic, considering that human belief cast him as a creature of the Devil himself.

"_And I can barely look at you. But every single time I do, I know we'll make it anywhere, away from here._" As he sang this, his eyes met Martha's and he smiled; she realized that he was singing about her.

"He's looking right at you, honey," said Eunice, giving Martha an encouraging nudge.

"_Light up, light up. As if you have a choice. Even if you cannot hear my voice, __I'll be right beside you, dear. Louder, louder. And we'll run for our lives. I can __hardly speak. I understand, why you can't raise your voice to say._"

He stepped towards the edge of the stage and held out a hand to her, silently asking her to join him. Behind her, Martha could hear the other monsters cheering her on, and with a smile, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her up.

"_Slower, slower. We don't have time for that. All I want is to find an easier way, to get out of our little heads. Have heart, my dear. We're bound to be afraid. Even if it's just for a few days, making up for all this mess."_

His words made Martha think of the secret she had been keeping from him; the one she needed to tell him for them to properly be together. She knew fully well that she couldn't keep the fact that she was human from him forever; she would have to tell him at some point, and in her opinion, it was better to tell him sooner than later.

_But not now_. Martha wanted to enjoy herself with him; there was a good chance this could be the last night she spent with him, taking his hatred for humans into consideration, and she wanted nothing to ruin it. She allowed him to draw her in closer as Murray performed a guitar solo, and closing her eyes, she found herself placing her head on his chest and let him rock from side to side with the music.

_Mother said that you only meet your zing once, and even if it lasts for a few days, it will be enough to last you a lifetime. I want to remember this_.

When the song ended, the crowd cheered and Martha looked up, allowing her eyes to meet with Dracula's. No words needed to be spoken, and smiling at each other, they leaned in to share a kiss...

"Can I have your attention please?" The two pulled away and looked towards a goblin who had climbed on the stage. "A pair of false vampire teeth have been handed in to us." He held them up. "If these are yours, please come and collect them immediately."

Eyes widening, Martha subtly rose her hand to check her teeth...only to find them gone. _Oh no..._ She hid her panic and covered her mouth, quickly hiding behind Dracula. _This is not good... Why did this have to happen now? I just have to hope that no one else decides to claim them..._

"Hey, I think those a mine," Griffin spoke up, stepping forwards from his position on the stage. Martha felt dread pass through her. "I lost them a couple of days ago." He took them from the goblin, but immediately dropped them again in disgust. "Eww, gross! Someone's had them in their mouth! They're covered in saliva!"

"I might be able to tell who it is." Martha cursed inwardly when Wayne stepped forwards and picked up the teeth, bringing them up to his nose in order to sniff them. He did...but then his eyes widened and he threw them away, howling in panic as he scrambled under the snack table. Other monsters gathered around in confusion.

"What was it, Wayne?" asked Frank. He grabbed the werewolf's tale and pulled him out, revealing the wolf to be shaking in fear with his hands – or rather, paws – over his head.

Wanda hurried over to her husband. "Honey, what is it? Do you need a sword?"

"I need to place to hide! I can't believe it..." He shook violently. "The scent I smelt on those teeth is a human scent!"

And panic broke out.

Chairs were scattered, the snack table was upturned, the instruments on stage were smashed, and all the while, monsters ran around the room screaming, trying to make sense of what Wayne had said. Some were hurrying out into the lobby to complain while others were trying to find good places to hide.

"Do you know where this human is?" asked Frank.

Wayne just shook his head, his face buried into Wanda's chest. "I didn't get that far! All I smelt was human and I panicked!"

Martha didn't know what to do. For the time being, the monsters didn't suspect her of being the human, and she wanted it to stay that way...for now. _I didn't want Drac to find out this way_. Using the chaos as a cover, she made for the doors which led outside and hurried into the night among the other monsters who were escaping by the same means.

But her escape didn't go unnoticed; Dracula had watched her go. _She must be terrified. And she had gotten over her last scare so well_. "Martha, wait!" Unable to push through the crowd, he quickly changed into a bat and was able to fly over the retreating monsters while pursing his love. "Stop!"

Martha was running towards the bay where she had first met Dracula, and when she finally reached the beach, she stopped. There weren't any other monsters around, and she knew that Dracula had been following her. She kept her back turned to him as he landed and changed back into his usual form; he approached her slowly, holding out a hand to comfort her. _She's shaking. Poor thing_.

"Martha, please... I know you're scared, but I made you a promise. I won't let those humans hurt you. I would sooner eat a plate full of garlic." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

His soothing words – said in that soft tone of voice – vowing to protect her, was what made Martha cry. _He's vowing to protect me from the very thing that __I am_. She moved away from him, allowing his hand to leave her shoulder. "You don't understand..." she began, but couldn't bring herself to say anymore.

Dracula's confusion was evident in the expression on his face. "What do you mean?"

Martha shut her eyes tight, took in a deep breath...and then she turned around and opened her mouth wide.

Dracula froze. Those were human teeth, meaning that Martha was... _No...she can't be...how..._ He stared at her in shock, unable to mutter a word, and unable to comprehend what she had told him.

Martha closed her mouth, and before she could stop herself, she was blurting out everything. "I didn't mean for you to find out this way, and I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt! I was at a garden party where I had to choose between three men to marry, but I didn't want to marry either of them so I ran away, and then I met this witch who gave me a spell that would take me to my zing, and it took me here, and I was stranded here, and then I found the teeth, and then I met you, and you thought I was a vampire and I didn't want to tell you the truth in case you hurt me, and I didn't mean for things to go this far but then I grew feelings for you, and I didn't want to break your heart, and, and, and... I'm so sorry!"

She turned around, sank to the ground and cried into her hands.

Dracula just stared at her, processing what she had just said. _Humans are monsters_, he kept reminding himself, but looking at Martha before him... she was different. She didn't attack them for their differences, and she looked genuinely sorry for her deception...but one thing didn't make sense.

"But you were a bat when I bumped into you?" he asked.

Martha sniffed back her tears and shook her head. "No, that was Mavis."

"Mavis?"

The bat crawled out of her pocket and chirped, causing Dracula to take a step back in surprise. _Definitely different. I've never known a human to keep a pet bat before_. Sighing, Dracula got down on his knees so he was level with Martha, and resting his hand under her chin, he turned her to face him like he had done so many times before.

But Martha just turned away from him. "I should go."

When he had discovered the truth, Dracula's heart had hurt...but those words made it shatter into a million pieces. "Go?"

"What else should I do?" she told him. "You saw how they panicked in there; they think humans are monsters, and we are! If I stayed here I wouldn't be doing anyone any favours. It's best if I just go. It is what's best for all of us." The words hurt her to say them, but it was the truth; she didn't know what she had been thinking before. A human and a vampire couldn't be together, no matter what she thought. It was impossible with the hatred on both sides. She had never understood the term 'star-crossed lovers' before...but now she did.

Dracula wanted to tell her to stay; he wanted to tell her that she was different compared to the other humans, and that he didn't care if she was one. But he knew she was right; the other monsters – heck even his friends – would never accept it. _I could bite her..._ But he shook his head. The transformation was too painful...and he could never inflict that kind of pain on her.

The bat chirped, and Martha gave her a light pat on the head. "I don't know, Mavis. I'm not sure how I can get home."

Hearing these words, Dracula took in a deep breath to give him courage, before rising to his feet. _If you love someone, let them go_. "I have a way. Wait here." He changed into a bat and flew away.

Martha remained on the beach, awaiting his return. She knew she was making the right decision, as much as it hurt her, and she allowed a few tears to escape her eyes. She wiped them away again when Dracula returned.

He had a vial in his hand which he handed to her once she was on her feet. "This is an antidote. It can reverse any spell and cure any effects of a potion. You drink this, you will return home."

Martha took it from him, and ever so slowly, she took off the lid with trembling hands. "I drink this...and I return home?"

Dracula could only nod. Without realizing he raised his hand and touched her cheek gently, hoping that the gesture would get her to stay despite everything against them...but Martha screwed her eyes shut and took a sip from the liquid within the vial.

The weird sensation flowed through her once more, but this time she kept her eyes shut not because she didn't want to know what was happening...but because she didn't want to see the heartbroken look upon her love's face.

* * *

When Frank found his friend, he knew that the vampire's heart had been broken. Dracula was sat on the beach with his arms wrapped around his knees, and was watching the eastern horizon as the day grew lighter and lighter. The sun hadn't risen, but it would be doing so soon enough...and Dracula was making no moves to go back inside, or even find shade.

Frank approached his friend and gave him a slap on the back. "You'll burn to smithereens if you stay out here any longer."

"I don't care," said Dracula. "I don't care what happens to me now. I wish I could erase my own memory."

It didn't take Frank very long to figure out what had happened. He sat himself down next to his friend. "Martha was the human, wasn't she?"

Dracula turned to his friend with a look of surprise. _Frankie isn't usually this smart_. "How did you know?"

"Well, you're like an open book, buddy," the monster explained. "And after we got Wayne to calm down, he gave the teeth a better sniff. Then Wanda sniffed them just to make sure it was true."

The vampire sighed and turned away again. "She's a human. But I feel so...heartbroken. I shouldn't feel anything for her. But I do. She's different, Frankie. I've never met any human like her before. She proves that humans and monsters can get on together. But no one else would understand...and now she's gone."

Frank placed an arm on his friend's shoulders. "We weren't sure what to think of her, either. But after giving it some thought, we realized the same; she's different, and we wouldn't mind having her around. Would you?"

Dracula knew the answer to that. "I love her. Even though she's a human, I still love her. But she's gone. And I don't know where she's gone."

"Should that stop you from going after her?" said Frank. "It's like that 'zing' thing she was going on about. You'll never find it again, buddy."

The vampire turned away and looked at the approaching sunrise. "You're right." He then noticed a small glint in the bushes where the first rays of light were beginning to hit. Despite the sunlight burning his skin, Dracula walked over to the bushes and rummaged in them...and found half a bottle of some pink and purple liquid.

"What is it?" asked Frank.

Even though there was no label, in his heart, Dracula knew exactly what it was. "It's the spell Martha drank which brought her here. I think she said...it would take her to her zing. Which means..."

Frank knew where he was going with this. "It will take you to Martha. And you better hurry." The monster pointed to the horizon, where the sun was getting higher.

Knowing that there was nothing to wait around for, Dracula took the lid off the vial and gulped down the liquid.


	6. Chapter Six: Zings Know No Boundaries

Wow...last chapter already? Yeah, I meant for this story to be short. I'm one for well-written short stories instead of ones which just drag on and on and on...

Anyway, I hope people have enjoyed this story! I've certainly enjoyed writing it, and I never expected to get so many lovely reviews! :D It makes me want to write another story for this movie...but I don't have anymore ideas. xD I'll try and come up with one and see where I go from there.

I hope people like this final conclusion!

* * *

When Martha opened her eyes, she was lying in the woods.

It was the same clearing where she had come across the witch and her cottage, and Martha was surprised that she hadn't been transported _into_ the cottage, to the exact spot where she had been standing only days ago. But turning around, the cottage had vanished.

Martha didn't dwell on this for long. It was not the weirdest thing she had seen in her travels.

Renfield was missing too, and Martha assumed he'd somehow found his way back home. Where that was, though, Martha didn't know. But that thought didn't last long, either; all her thoughts were on Dracula, the zing she had left behind. Without realizing she got to her feet and began to aimlessly walk through the trees, not caring that the dress she had worn for _him_ was getting ripped and caught on the tree branches.

Mavis crawled out of her pocket and chirped to get Martha's attention, but not even that would draw the girl from her thoughts; it was like she had built an impenetrable wall around her mind. It was a wonder she didn't bump into anything.

_I did the right thing_, Martha kept repeating over and over again. She had read many books in which both men and women went against their hearts, and when she had been younger, she had put those books down in disgust and questioned how anyone could leave the love of their life. But now she understood. Some differences, some difficulties in being together, couldn't be overlooked or ignored.

_I did the right thing...but why does it hurt so much?_ A tear escaped her eye, and Martha quickly wiped it away again. _I have to be a big girl now_. Her mother had managed to live without love; she could, too.

_Mother...I'm sorry..._

"Martha?"

Martha looked up. She had arrived outside her home without realizing, and standing outside the front door was her father, staring at her with wide eyes. Martha just looked down at her feet, knowing what was coming.

Abraham walked down the steps. "Where have you been?!"

The girl couldn't answer. Another tear escaped, and she didn't bother to wipe it away again. Her silence seemed to pay off, and after glaring at her for a good few minutes, Abraham's expression softened and he carefully crossed the gap between them. He then lightly placed his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug.

"I am glad you are well."

Martha just froze and went with it. Her father had never shown this much affection towards her before; he had always been stern with her. _All this time, I could have just disappeared for a few days. I wish I'd thought of that sooner_.

She found herself being led inside and was soon sat down in the drawing room, where a maid brought her a warm cup of tea. Martha only took a sip, but was forced to spit it back out again. The pleasant taste was unusual to her, even though she had been gone for only a few days; she had grown so used to the exotic tastes of the monster food.

_No, don't think about that now. Don't think about him..._

"What happened to you, Martha?" She was once again brought from her thoughts by her father's voice, who was giving her a questioning and worried look. "When Renfield came back without you we feared the worst."

She sighed. "I think I fell from him," she lied. "I must have bumped my head. When I woke up I was in a cottage; a kind old lady had found me and taken me in. I was out cold for a day, and I was too unwell to travel until today." Martha felt completely comfortable when lying to him, while she had felt bad about even _partly_ lying before. _I guess it was because I was lying to him..._

Abraham nodded, believing her story. "I will have to find this lady and thank her." He then took her hand in his. "Listen, Martha, I am truly sorry about before. I did not realize how much pressure I was putting upon you."

Martha only nodded. She knew she would have to make the decision now...

"You will be happy to know there is only one suitor left for you," Abraham continued. Martha looked up at him in surprise. "Quincey took your leave the wrong way and went back to America. Arthur was put off also and asked Lucy to marry him instead." Martha smiled at this; she knew her friend would be happy with that. "Only John remains. But I will not pressure you to marry him."

The girl thought. _It's not like I can do anything else with my life_. Like her mother said, zings only happen once in a lifetime; she would never find anyone like Dracula again. _And really, I would prefer to marry John rather than a cranky old lord who won't treat me any better than a servant. At least I know John and he's my age_. "I will marry him," she said.

Her father smiled, before leaning in to place a kiss upon his daughter's head. "I will go and fetch him myself. I advise you go to your room and get some much needed rest."

He left the room, and Martha was assisted up to her room by the maid, who then curtsied and shut the bedroom door, leaving Martha alone.

Mavis crawled out of the girl's pocket and chirped; Martha smiled down at her and gave the bat a stroke, before picking her up and placing her on the dressing table in front of the mirror. Martha sat down upon her bed, and feeling something in her other pocket, she stuck her hand inside and froze when she touched the familiar object.

She pulled it out. It was the photo Dracula had bought her. She pressed the photo against her chest, and allowing the tears she had been holding back to flow, she collapsed back on her bed and curled up into a ball, sobbing openly. Mavis, seeing her friend in pain, flew over to her and settled against her, rubbing her head against her in a comforting motion.

* * *

Martha awoke from her sleep when she heard a tap at the window.

She sat up. It was dark outside. _Did I fall asleep?_ Feeling her damp, sticky face, she concluded that she had cried herself to sleep. The photo was still in her hands while Mavis was clinging to her dress; the bat was gazing at the window curiously.

Also curious as to what could be tapping on the window, Martha got up and walked over to it in order to investigate. Gazing out, she could see nothing out of the ordinary, but opened the window regardless so she could see through the window glare and get a better view.

She cried out in shock when something flew in her face, and she shot back from the window as a dark shape flew by her and entered the room.

It was another bat. Mavis and Martha exchanged looks of confusion as the new bat flew aimlessly around the room for a few moments before crashing into the dressing table, landing upside down with its eyes spinning dizzily.

"I need to work on my landings..." it said.

Martha blinked. Then rubbed her eyes. _Did that bat just...?_

But then it processed. _That voice..._ Her eyes widened, and her heart began to beat faster. "D-Drac?"

The bat saw her for the first time, and he hurriedly set himself upright before changing into the familiar vampire Martha knew and loved. "Martha! I found you, sweet fang! I would have come sooner, but when I got here it was still day, so I had to wait in the shadows until night, and then I had to find you, and do you know how many windows I had to try and how many people screamed when they saw me-"

"Vlad!"

Dracula stopped mid-sentence and stared at her in surprise. _She used my name. My __first__ name_.

Martha sighed, before crossing the room and taking his hands in hers. She kept herself under control; being near him again was... She knew it would be twice as hard to let him go this time. "What are you doing here? I thought we agreed that we couldn't be together-"

"I know, I know." He placed a gentle hand on her cheek. "But Frank came to me; he and the others agreed that you were different. And if they agreed on this, then whose to say everyone else won't? It's like you said, Martha; a zing only happens once in your life. And I'm not letting mine get away so easily."

Instantly, with those words, all the arguments Martha had convinced herself with – and had been planning to use against him – were forgotten about, and unable to hold back any longer, she launched herself forwards and sealed their lips.

This kiss was unlike the kisses they had shared before. While those had been sweet and mostly short, this one was full of passion and heat; neither Dracula nor Martha were holding back as they deepened their kiss. The world around them had been forgotten about, and nothing and no one was going to interrupt them-

"MARTHA?"

The two pulled away and turned to the door. Abraham was standing there with wide eyes, and behind him was John. But while John looked utterly heartbroken by the sight before him, Abraham looked enraged.

"What do you think you are _doing?!_ And who is _that?_"

Martha opened her mouth to reply, but Dracula stepped forwards instead to introduce himself. _Not good, not good..._

"Count Vlad Dracula," he said, bowing. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr.-"

"DEVIL!" Abraham opened a compartment in the wall and pulled out a pistol. "John, go for help!" John didn't argue and did as asked while Abraham aimed the pistol at Dracula.

_He saw the fangs! And how long has he been hiding that thing in my room?_ Martha instantly got between them. "Father, no! You don't understand! He isn't a monster!"

Abraham fired anyway, aiming at Dracula's head...but at the last moment Mavis swept in and took the bullet, and her body fell lifelessly to the floor.

"MAVIS!" Martha dropped to the floor and took the little bat in her hand, but it was too late. The bat had sacrificed herself to try and save them.

Martha's father barely battered an eyelid at the bat's death and took aim at the vampire once more. "You better get the hell out of my daughter's room right now!"

"Father!" Martha left Mavis's side and ran at her father, grabbing the pistol and trying to aim it away from Dracula. But in the struggle, the trigger was accidentally pulled and a shot rang out.

It hit Martha.

She cried out in pain and fell to the floor, clutching her shoulder.

"MARTHA!" Dracula was immediately by her side.

Abraham aimed the pistol again. "Get away from her!"

But Dracula was in no mood to do anything of the kind. And this man before him had just shot the love of his life. The vampire's expression changed from worry to absolute rage, and looking up at Abraham, his entire face turned red as he let out a roar which Martha thought someone like him would _never_ be capable of.

It worked. Abraham dropped the pistol and legged it from the room, but Dracula knew he would be back with more. _I've just set monsters back hundreds of years. But I had to do it_. He turned back to Martha, who was breathing heavily to cope with the pain. "Martha..."

"I never knew you could be that scary," she told him with a smile, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Martha, why did you do that?" he demanded.

"Because he was going to kill you," she told him, as if it was obvious. "I couldn't let him."

"But vampires don't die from getting shot," Dracula explained. "It's always been exposure to sunlight and stake to the heart while stuffing the mouth with garlic. But thinking about that last one, who _wouldn't_ that kill?"

Martha tried to laugh, but it hurt too much. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I left you..."

"It's not your fault," Dracula told her, gently rubbing his hand against the side of her face.

Her vision was getting darker, and Martha knew this was the end for her. "I'm happy I got to see you one last time... I love you, Vlad."

Dracula knew she was dying...and he knew there was only one way he could save her. Before he had hesitated to suggest it because of the pain it caused, but now there was no choice; he would lose her if her didn't do it. He leaned in closer, and Martha thought he was going to kiss her goodbye. But then his lips passed hers and went to her ear.

"Martha...I'm so sorry..."

And then Martha felt his fangs sink into her neck.

She was overcome with a greater pain than the bullet wound, and she cried out as Dracula pulled away and let her go. Spasms shook her body as she felt her blood burning her insides, like it was boiling and trying to escape. Her eyes rolled, and she turned to lie on her front as the pain rocketed through her body and her heart beat faster.

Then, as quickly as it had begun, it finished.

Dracula knew it was over when Martha stopped her violent actions, and moved in closer to lay a hand on her shoulder. "Martha...I'm sorry I put you through that...but I had to save you."

Martha turned over slowly to face him, and upon first glance, once would think that nothing had changed. But then she opened her mouth, and two sharp teeth were revealed. Martha lifted her hand up and touched one of them, her eyes widening in realization.

"I'm a...you mean you could have done this before?"

"As you experienced, it's painful," he explained. "I...would never have been able to put you through that pain before. But since you were dying..." He didn't know what else to say other than, "I'm sorry."

But then Martha leapt into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

Dracula was about to hug her back when Abraham and John suddenly showed up at the door, along with several other men behind them. Abraham was about to enter...but froze when Martha turned to him, her mouth still open.

If Abraham wasn't angry before, he certainly was now. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DAUGHTER?"

"Time to fly." Dracula changed into a bat. "Martha, change! Just think it!"

He flew towards the window, and as Martha hurried after him, she closed her eyes and willed herself to changed as well...and suddenly she was flying out the window. Opening her eyes she saw Dracula up ahead, and with difficulty, she flew after him. Dracula noticed her struggling and turned to help her, flying underneath her in order to give her support.

Behind them, Abraham leaned out the window and began to aimlessly fire his pistol at them.

"I won't forget this! I will never forgive you for what you did to my daughter! I will hunt you _all_ down and kill every one of you! _You hear me!_ EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!"

But Martha and Dracula didn't care. They had found their zings with each other, and vowed to be together for the rest of their lives.

* * *

Dracula looked away after completing his story, knowing exactly what his daughter was going to say.

And he was right. "So you're saying that my mother was a human and you never thought to tell me? And why do you hate humans so much if she _was_ a human?"

"That was before," Dracula tried to explain. "Before she died, I was willing to give them a chance. But after... I always thought your mother was the only one who was different. All the other humans... I wasn't willing to chance it and lose you, too."

Mavis turned away, and only calmed down when Johnny placed a hand on her shoulder. "I totally understand what your father did. Well, apart from the bit with the fake village." Dracula looked away hesitantly at that. "He was only trying to protect you. Honestly, I think I would have done the same thing. Would you have done?"

Thinking about it, Mavis had to admit that if Johnny was ever killed by something in cold blood just because he was different, and if they had a child...she probably _would_ go though lengths to keep that child safe. _Apart from building the fake village. Dad went too far with that_. But she had forgiven him for it, and it was forgotten about. After all, if he had never done that, she would never have met Johnny.

She leaned over and hugged her father. "I'm sorry, Dad."

Dracula looked surprised. "For what?"

"For not understanding that everything you ever did for me was to try and protect me," she replied. "After all you and Mum went through, I can understand why you did what you did."

The vampire found himself smiling and hugged her back.

Mavis then pulled away. "And I'm not sure how I feel about being named after a bat."

Her father chuckled. "No, your mother only liked the name. She named the bat that first, and then decided to give you the name as well. Although your bat form looks a lot like the first Mavis..."

"Dad!" Mavis gave her father a friendly shove, and he chuckled again.

Johnny watched them with a smile. _I wish my family was like this. But I have Mavis now. I only hope our love is as strong as Dracula's and Martha's_.

He began to wonder whether he should let one of the vampires bite him.


End file.
